Ph. D. in English (Composition and Rhetoric) — May 2009

Ball State University

Received a University Doctoral Fellowship (August 2004 – May 2006)

Passed with Distinction on Graduate Candidacy Exams (January 2007)

Dissertation: Digital Students in the Democratic Classroom: Using Technology to Enhance Critical Pedagogy in First-Year Composition (Committee: Dr. Linda Hanson, chair; Dr. Paul Ranieri, member; Dr. Webster Newbold, member; Dr. Carole Clark Papper, member; Dr. James Chesbro, member)

Focused on critical pedagogy, teaching with technology, instructional design for online learning, assessment, and creative nonfiction pedagogy

M.A. in English (Creative Writing) — July 2007

Ball State University

Focused on creative nonfiction pedagogy and the rhetoric of the segmented essay.

Creative nonfiction thesis: Buried in Polyester (Committee: Jill Christman, chair; Mark Neely, member; Dr. Carole Clark Papper, member).

Missouri State University–M.A. in Writing (Composition and Rhetoric) — July 1999

Focused on the politics of the personal essay, collaborative learning theories, and writing theory.

Thesis: Collaboration and Communication in the College Composition Classroom (Committee: George H. Jensen, chair; Nancy L. Walker, member; Margaret E. Weaver, member).

Coursework in composition theory and pedagogy, rhetoric, and creative nonfiction.

College of the Ozarks — B.A. in English — May 1997

Majored in English

Minored in Speech Communication